Mysterious Creatures
by ActionFantasyLuver
Summary: The Commander and Dave Reilly disappear on a strange planet during a ground reconnaissance. While the planet is being explored and John and Dave are being searched for, Helena is kidnapped by two wolf-like creatures. The moon will soon to be leaving orbit and it is just a matter of time to discover the secrets of the planet, save Helena, and find Koenig and Reilly!
1. Chapter 1

**MYSTERIOUS CREATURES**

(1)

She awoke feeling something hard against the side of her temple and cheek, experiencing aches and pains in areas of her body she forgot existed, the result of having been dragged a long distance across the rugged ground. Her throat hurt, probably from the damp air. Or had she been screaming? The latter was not completely out of the question considering all she had been through.

Dr. Russell could smell a slight odor of mildew and heard the gentle 'plink' of water droplets against a stone surface. Intrigued, Helena's eyes blinked open and she was greeted with light. It looked like a soft morning light and it came from the mouth of a cave.

She had gone exploring around twilight the evening before, had heard something and intentionally strayed away from the Eagle when her monitor indicated life readings. They were larger than a bird or even a wild boar and could be human. She should have waited for the others but the possibility of who those readings belonged to drove her from the safe haven of the encampment.

Helena thought it was Commander John Koenig and David Reilly, Alpha's resident "Irish Cowboy" and archeologist. She had prayed it was one or the other. The men went missing when their Eagle, hours before, landed on the planet and they began a reconnaissance. There were others in the craft; Raul, Stannis and Veldt, a good team with a doctor, scientist, security-guard and, with Reilly, a man who knew nature and its elements. But the team had searched closer to their Eagle, as their Commander instructed, while Koenig and Reilly moved out further.

Koenig made one quick report about an obelisk, something which reminded both of a native totem pole from Alaska on Earth. The Commander then promised he'd call back in ten minutes but never did.

Helena was more than concerned. John knew how to take care of himself but this was an alien planet, a new unexplored world. While it seemed harmless and even hopeful with its vegetation, minerals and good weather – there could still be dangers they knew nothing about.

"Helena, stay with the Eagle." Tony Verdeschi told her as he and the others stepped down the ramp and out into the open.

She nearly protested but he followed up by saying they had no idea what condition John or Dave would be in when they found them. She, as their CMO, would need to be prepared for any eventuality when they were brought back to the Eagles. Helena still felt she should be with the search party for on the spot medical care, if it was needed. It was Maya who reminded her that Dr. Raul was with the first recon party and they were hunting for the Commander and Reilly as well.

Troubled but accepting, Helena watched them leave and knew the real reason why she was ordered not to go. If John was found dead, possibly torn to pieces by a wild animal, they did not want Helena to see him until they had prepared her. It was a kind gesture but also irritating. If John Koenig was dead she would know it.

She and the Commander had an odd and nearly enviable connection, a link that went back to those early days, just after the moon broke away from Earth orbit. They could look at one another and know what the other was thinking. It was a strange and nearly spiritual bond. Some would even say it was romantic.

Months ago, when he was reported dead during the Entra exploration, Helena never really felt it was true and, sure enough, John came back to her with a story about a penal colony of whip wielding women in red tights. She had nearly laughed at his exasperation through her relief - but dispensed with the urge. After all, they lost a good man during that fiasco.

But then in the present, as she stood on her own just outside the Eagle, using her body heat scanner to see if she could pick up something human, she heard a noise in the distance. Helena also thought she heard voices. Then her monitor beeped, picking up a heat signature. Two forms it declared. Perhaps John and Dave were on their way in and if one or the other were hurt she might be needed.

"Betty," Helena called to the lab assistant inside their Eagle, "Stay here. I'll be right back." She could hear the woman's dissenting appeal but Helena, siting the prerogative of a senior staff member, chose to ignore her. With purpose, she lifted her monitor and walked deeper into the woods.

"John?" Confused, Helena tilted her head then looked about but saw nothing. Her monitor said she should be right where the heat-readings were radiating. Helena's eyes widened when she saw a sample kit leaning against what looked like a tall thick oak. She laid her monitor down and picked up the kit. It belonged to Dave Reilly and everything looked in order. She saw his hat, the one he always wore when required for planetary exploration, a few feet away from the oak.

Then she heard a growl.

Helena's shoulders stiffened and she stood slowly from her crouching position, her hand resting on the butt of her stun gun. Carefully she turned about, eyes wide, and expression thick with worry. Helena gasped as she took in the creatures.

There were two, tall and lean like men but wolf-like, with hard muscle and fur, pointed ears and dog-like muzzles. The alpha male of the two was closest to her, its lips pulled back and it snarled, baring long sharp teeth. Helena thought the other was its mate for a moment but she could see evidence, as both stood on hind legs, that it too was male. Both looked vicious and were probably hungry.

Gulping, Helena backed away, slowly pulling her gun from its holster. Soon her shoulders made contact with the trunk of the big oak. She could feel its rough bark scrape the material of her light blue jacket, pulling at her hair. She was trapped.

She clicked the gun to 'kill' and almost fired when she became distracted. Helena saw, not far away, the obelisk John had mentioned in his report. Had John and Dave Reilly been victims of these creatures that were now closing in on her? The beasts continued to snarl and move forward. The brutes were muscular in the shoulders but surprisingly agile. She could hear the creature to the rear. His mighty jaws snapped together like a spring loaded rat trap.

Helena knew she should fire and would later regret that she did not but there was a strange humanness in their expressions, despite their aggression. "Please …" she whispered, "Don't hurt me." Helena was staggered when the taller of the two stopped growling and stood up straighter. He seemed puzzled, possibly astonished by her voice or, at least, was trying to understand what she was requesting. His head cocked ever so slightly to the side and Helena wondered if anyone had ever attempted to talk with them before, outside of their pack. _Could_ they understand her? "I mean you no harm." she declared and watched them for a reaction. The monsters seemed a strange combination of man and beast. They had an animal-human intelligence of some kind, she thought.

The alpha of the two creatures stood directly in front of her now, its fanged mouth only inches away from her face. It sniffed her and a massive paw, complete with razor-like claws, reached up to familiarly pet her hair.

Frightened, her hand shook and the gun slipped from her fingers.

Helena cursed her terror and closed her eyes, turning away from him. She was petrified now and, thinking this was the end, she breathed heavily and waited for a blow. Finding courage, unsure of what else she could do, Helena turned and looked directly into the creature's startling blue eyes. She watched as they narrowed ever so slightly. "Where are your … people?" She asked.

Suddenly, a fierce roar came from her left and one of Helena's arms was grasped and yanked hard. She was pulled roughly and flung to the forest floor. Helena felt some twigs scrape her left cheek and she spat out a leaf while unsteadily looking up at the ensuing chaos.

The wolf-like creatures barked savagely at one another, communicating, threatening, sizing each other up and rounding as a pack of wild dogs might encircle prey.

* * *

 _To be continued ..._


	2. Chapter 2

(2)

Four others of the wolf-like creatures had joined the group; two females and two more males. Obviously they were members of the alpha's pack, looking older than Helena's two aggressors, their fur softly striped with gray and whte, and none of them looked pleased.

It came to Helena that one of two things was happening. She was either their dinner and while the alpha male was willing to wait the other beasts wanted her dead and eaten now. Or was it possible that he and the other male, what Helena assumed was his second in command, thought her a potential mate? Were they fighting to see which one would have the right to take her as his own while the others simply saw her as a meal?

Helena did not want to wait and find out. While the beasts were distracted, fighting amongst themselves, she scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as she could in the direction of the Eagles. She nearly reached the clearing, almost cried out, when she was tackled from behind.

Dazed, she saw only stars and knew practically no more before awakening in the cave.

Helena imagined the creatures must have saw her escaping and immediately came after her … She recalled awakening very briefly, her right wrist held in a hairy vice, and she was being dragged.

She remembered seeing gold, glittering eyes in the dark and hearing snorts and howls all around her. Some were perhaps pleased by their conquest while others thought her a missed opportunity. 'This is it.' She thought. Helena imagined herself being brought to their den, with more wolf-creatures including pups. She would be eaten alive, torn from limb to bloody limb, and savored by the pack.

'I'm sorry John, Maya, Tony, Alan …' her mind wandered. 'Forgive my clumsy curiosity.' Then she once again lapsed into unconsciousness.

But now, as she looked out of the cave, at the bright morning sun, she realized that was not their intent. She saw one of the creatures at the mouth of their den, scratching something into the earth and stone wall with his strong claws. The other was closer to her, sitting back in a darkened alcove, and she thought he was sleeping until his head turned ever so slightly. His blue eyes sparkled, caught by light, as they looked at her.

She saw no others.

Helena slowly reached for her comlock and was crestfallen to discover it missing. It must have come off her belt when she was seized. She gulped and sat up slowly, uncertain what she should do next. Her heat reader was gone too and Helena supposed she should be satisfied that she was, at least, in one piece.

On all fours, the alpha male came closer to her and Helena gasped. The shadows of the cave caused him to appear sinister and even more threatening if possible. The other beast was now alerted and moved from his post. The alpha heard him and growled over his shoulder. The other backed away, demonstrating who won their battle the night before. Apparently, she was the soul property of the alpha for now.

Is that why he and the other were the only creatures seen? Again, Helena wondered where the rest of their pack was. Certainly it could not just be the two of them. Or was there a reason? Helena began to shiver as the possibilities dawned on her.

By now the landing parties knew she was missing. Helena was sure Betty was giving them an ear-full about how her request had been ignored. The lab tech and others probably felt she deserved whatever it was she had coming and Helena would be hard pressed not agree. She knew better than to go out on her own. Still, if it had been John Koenig she was reading … _Oh dear God, where was he?_

Her thought process was interrupted when the alpha placed a big paw on her shoulder, not unlike the night before. The contact was heavy and purposeful. He was pushing her, seemed to want her to lay flat on the dirt packed floor. Helena looked briefly at the other creature and it appeared to be panting. The alpha's teeth unexpectedly clamped onto the collar of her jacket and pulled, nearly tearing the durable cloth.

Helena understood. It was part of a mating ritual. The creature, having brought his new mate to their den, wanted her unclothed like he and his brother. She suppressed panic, further grasping that she might not just be the mate to the alpha but, when he got tired of her, she might be passed to the other creature as well!

Again, his muzzle was close to her face and his long tongue snaked out and licked her roughly on the right cheek.

Affection from a monster, she thought. Helena cried: "I'm hungry!"

The creature jumped back a little, looking at her.

" _Hungry_." Helena repeated, gesturing to her mouth. "And thirsty!" she offered, pretending to drink from a cup although it did occur to her that these beasts might not know what a cup was. "Do you understand?" she whispered.

The monster stared at her, sitting back on hind legs, then turned to look at the other who was bewildered. He then paused and returned his gaze to Helena. He growled and lifted a paw as if to tell her to stay still. He moved away and barked at the other as they walked together out of the cave. Helena watched them and could see what looked like a yelping and rumbling conversation.

Helena felt fleeting hope then disappointment.

The alpha male departed while the other beast patrolled the cave's entrance, moving back and forth on all fours, dutiful but agitated.

'Oh Helena.' she thought, 'What have you gotten yourself into?' And where, she wondered again, was John? If he and Reilly had run into these monsters or the rest of their pack, had they too been taken? Were they in yet another cave, perhaps with the females of this species, or were they dead?

No, she had to remind herself, if John was dead she would know it. Perhaps they had finally made it back to the Eagles.

The doctor was hardly a survivalist but she had learned a thing or two from past explorations. Feeling a chill from the damp air, Helena began to gather dry sticks inside of the cave and stacked them into a pile next to where she had been resting. She tore a small strip of material from inside her jacket then, catching a spark from rubbing two sticks together, lit it and managed a small but healthy fire.

As she worked, Helena tried to think about how she was going to get out of the cave. The wolf-beasts were big and either could easily over-power her - _and had._ She needed to outsmart them. They were somewhat intelligent but neither seemed to think overly deep thoughts. They, indeed all of their pack, were living for the here and now. They were wild, instinctual animals and took what they wanted.

She had to admit, however, that the alpha with the attractive blue eyes knew enough to satiate her physical hunger before any form of mating ritual was to commence. In an odd way, he was honoring her, she supposed. Of the two who had kidnapped her, the alpha seemed the most protective. She would admire the trait if, when he returned, she would not be forced to fight for what romance novelists would tactfully call her virtue.

"John, whatever happens, please be well." she cried softly and warmed her hands.

* * *

 _He found three small chatters and ripped their heads off. Food. It was what she wanted and it was what she was going to get. She was his to provide for now._

 _A life mate._

 _He heard a noise, something different than the howls from the rest of his people. Yet their voices were oddly familiar … He had heard them before … they sounded like his mate. They were calling a name …._ Helena … Helena …. Helena …

 _Perhaps they were of her tribe._

 _They would not find her, he vowed. She was his now. They would_ not _find her._

* * *

 **To be continued ...**


	3. Chapter 3

(3)

The fire drew it in.

Helena grew nervous when she saw the _beta-beast_ , which was the mental title she had given the alpha's brother or partner, move from the mouth of the cave. It slowly eased its way inside. She doubted it would dare try anything with her after the sound thrashing it received from the alpha wolf-creature. Still, his presence was disquieting.

Inquisitive, the fire she had produced was too big a temptation to keep it on guard outside. It sniffed the air, the odor of charred fabric odd to its nostrils.

"Curious?" Helena asked the beta and received a snort in responds as it stared at the hypnotic flickering flames. She then got an idea, lifting one of the longer branches out of the fire, gripping the cooler end in a steady hand. She pointed the flame at the monster and watched as he backed away, startled.

Of course, they were afraid of fire!

It might fascinate him but it was an unknown factor, perhaps an abomination against one of its gods, and therefore a threat. It felt the heat and in its animal mind the beast probably thought of fire as an intoxicatingly evil … or at least menacing.

A bird squawked outside of the cave, suddenly garnering the creature's interest. He turned away to look at the opening, perhaps thinking his brother had returned. As he did, Helena quickly looked about the cave floor for a longer stick she had discarded. It hadn't been right for the fire but it would make a perfect torch.

She found it and quickly set about ripping the lining on the inside of her blue jacket. She tore another larger strip and wrapped it firmly around the end of the stick. The lining was now in tatters but she did not care. Helena then dipped the stick into the fire and watched as it ignited.

Taking a deep breath, Helena raised from her crouching position, bringing the torch up with her.

The beast, sensing movement arose on his haunches and looked at her. It snarled, baring dangerous teeth, when it saw Helena round the fire she created.

Helena pointed and jabbed the torch at the beta. It jumped back in further alarm as she slowly rounded it, backing up to the entrance. The monster cautiously followed her. Helena knew she had to get back to the camp and quickly. She deeply hoped John and Reilly had returned but, whatever the situation, she did not relish the idea of being left alone on this God forsaken world when the moon finally left orbit!

She could nearly smile at the thought. John would never leave her for dead unless he saw a body. Perhaps he was with the landing party now, searching for her. Helena truly hoped he was.

When she reached the mouth of the cave, feeling the heat of the sun on her back, Helena took a quick look over her shoulder.

The wolf-creature took that as his cue. Finding courage, knowing what the alpha would do to him if he let their prize get away, the beta disregarded the terror of the flame and came at Helena.

She panicked for only a moment then lobbed the torch at the monster. She watched as he cried out, his fur now ignited. He ran about the cave frantically, grabbing at his body, throwing himself on the floor, howling in pain and rage.

Helena cried too, feeling empathy for the now pathetic creature but knowing this was the only way she was going to escape. She ran frenziedly, praying she was moving in the correct direction towards the Eagles.

* * *

The teams split up, half near one of the many obelisks in the area, this one close to a mountain range dotted with shallow caves. The other searched for Helena, Reilly, and Commander Koenig.

Tony, Alan and Maya combed the woods all morning for their friends and only after Dr. Nunez insisted they stop and make others take their turn, did they continue their reconnaissance of the planet. As worried as they were about the three it was their duty to see if this new world could make a good home.

"Tony, this is no ordinary monument." Maya examined the screen on her scanner with the expert eye of a woman who had learned much in her young life. What Koenig had called a 'totem pole' was before them, one of five they had encountered. "My father told me stories and showed me pictures of the Korgan people. They were a race of beings many light years away from Psychon. Mentor was never clear about their origins, although he did visit the planet once or twice. At that time it was devoid of human life, he said. But the people, in their prime, were said to have had powers that rivaled our own."

"You mean they were metamorphs?" Verdeschi came up on her right side and visually scanned the column they stood before. He reached a hand toward it but paused when he felt an odd sensation touch his fingertips. "Electrical?" he asked.

Maya narrowed her eyes, "A power source of some kind, certainly. Mentor said the Korgan's may have been a very ancient race of Psychons, having left our home world to settle elsewhere thousands of years ago. The difference between the Korgans and ourselves was the way we changed. Molecular transformation came naturally to Psychons over time but after a single generation on their foundling world the Korgan's needed more. A catalyst."

"Like what?" Alan Carter appeared at Maya's left to also visually examine their newest obelisk.

"It involved a ceremony, the reading of an ancient text and, after a while, only certain members of the royal family were given the right to change."

"Why?" Alan asked, curious.

"Religious practices, I suppose. Perhaps they felt there was danger if a provincial was allowed to change." Maya shrugged at the look Tony gave her, "I didn't say it was fair." She then added, "That was thousands of years ago and eventually the Korgans died out as a race, leaving only burned out homes, pottery …" She looked up, "And extraordinary pillars to remind those left behind of their one time existence." Her tone held a note of sadness.

"So you're saying _this_ is their planet then?" Verdeschi considered it a moment, "Or at least a nearby relative?"

Maya began to say something when they were interrupted.

"Tony!" Stannis rushed forward with a small but heavy wooden box in his hands, "Veldt and I were exploring a cave and found this underneath a ledge." He popped the top and pulled out what looked like a very old parchment, "We can't read it but thought it might be important."

Verdeschi took the parchment and carefully unrolled it. It nearly crumbled in his hands do to age but he noted some odd hieroglyphics. He then handed it over to the Psychon, "Does it make any sense to you, Maya?"

She looked it over, her pretty brow crinkling ever so slightly as she concentrated, then once again stared up at the obelisk. Nervously, Maya looked about them. "No, I can't read it." She said and tensely rolled the parchment, "It's an ancient language … But I think I know what it is, what it's trying to tell us. We need to find Helena quickly."

"What's wrong?" Alan asked, observing Maya's sudden anxiety.

"We need to get off this planet. Quickly."

"Maya, what is it?" Tony placed a hand on one of her shoulders.

"I'll explain it the best I can when we get to the Eagles." She then said, "Someone on Alpha with better knowledge than I can better examine and decipher this parchment."

Verdeschi knew better than to question Maya further. If she was frightened it was for a good reason and they had to get moving. "Okay, let's find Helena."

"What about John and Dave?" Carter asked.

Maya whispered: "It may be already too late for them."

* * *

 _He returned to the cave and discovered it empty._

 _The fire had died, leaving only embers._

 _Whatever that had been was of no interest to the alpha._

 _His fury was unbridled. He slammed the small creatures he had killed into the wall beside him and growled his anger. He then turned about, with a viscous snarl and a glint of murderous revenge in his blue eyes._

 _He exited the den once again._

 _The wolf-creature was not certain who to kill first, the deceitful female or his cunning comrade who had spirited her away!_

* * *

 ** _To be continued ..._**

 _(This chapter dedicated to Candace Cline. Good luck, Candace. I sincerely hope it goes well for you. In my thoughts and prayers)_


	4. Chapter 4

**(4)**

* * *

"John!"

"Helena!"

"Reilly! Mate, can you hear us?"

Helena could feel the tears sting her eyes as she ran, the torch still in her hand even though the flame had been extinguished at least a quarter of a mile down the path. She did not know why she still held the long stick, perhaps as a weapon should another of the creatures come for her. At the moment she was half mad with terror. Every sound about her, every screech from a bird, each rustle in the brushes made Helena want to scream. She was normally a courageous woman but too much had happened over the past two days. She wanted nothing more than to find her friends and return to camp. And she wanted John. She wanted to kiss him and feel his protective arms around her.

Helena's legs felt like elastic, nearly numb and ready to give away; her chest felt as if it might burst from the exertion she had placed on her body. Helena, despite her resolve, had nearly given up when she heard their voices. Their nearly frenetic calls were like harp music to her ears. Thank God, she was headed in the right direction!

She tried to cry out but her voice was raw, her throat parched. Still, she managed sound, a loud yelp which caused a rodent or two on the forest floor to scamper away. What she had not counted on was that even though her friends could faintly pick up on her cry, it being carried over on the breeze that whipped through the woods, so did the other beasts.

At least one monster could hear her very clearly, its sensitive wolf ears attuned to the sounds of the woodlands, and it raced to where the human voice originated, with devastating retribution on its mind. He wanted to kill her. If only her death did not mean his own.

He heard the other voices too but he could ignore them for now. _She_ was the one he wanted.

When the beta caught up to Helena she was not even aware of him until the stick, which had once been an implement of escape, had been knocked from her hand. She was flung to the ground on her back and he pounced on her, roaring his fury, his teeth dripping saliva and they ripped and tore at the shoulder of her blue jacket.

"No!" Helena's eyes were wide and she knew which one he was immediately.

The fur on part of his body was burned off and ugly red wounds and blisters, deep injuries, were scattered in patches all over his body. She could almost feel sorry for him, the pain and anguish he must be experiencing, but she was also terrified for her own life!

Something else caught Helena's attention. She had never noticed it before. The beta had _brown_ eyes. It was an odd thing to notice at a time like this but it seemed very important for some odd reason. The alpha had blue eye and this one had brown …. And all the rest she had seen, their eyes glimmering at her from the twilight, had golden eyes … and their fur; white and grey stripes through the brown and beige of their coats. The alpha and the beta did not have those markings. The alpha was darker and the beta a bit lighter ...

Suddenly, he paused and looked at her. Something feral and frightful found its way into his miserable mind and he felt the urge to act on it. She had hurt him and he was going to do the same, act as cruel nature commanded, and take what he deserved!

Helena could feel a tightness overcome her body as his clawed hands pulled back her tattered jacket. She then screamed as he pulled at her clothes, attempting to rip at them, to feel her soft flesh, to part her legs and make her completely his.

"No!" Helena cried again as she fought him, pounding his shoulders and chest with her fists and kicking everything else she could reach with her booted feet.

The wolf-creature dug its nails into her shoulders, piercing the fabric of her jacket, tearing it further. Helena gasped, experiencing pain but also a terrible anticipation. She was going to die here, be raped by this monster! Her murderer was a man-beast who would probably eat her when he was done having his way, clawing out her heart, and crushing her bones. All her friends would find was a bloodied corpse.

"Helena!"

Once again she heard Verdeschi's call, closer now, and opened her eyes wide.

Helena looked up at the beta. It paused above her and was now also wary. It too heard the voices and was weighing its options. As enraged as it was, as much as it wanted revenge, the beta had another to appease; a brother creature the wolf-beast looked up to, and he had promised to protect his mate.

The beta rolled off of Helena and, standing on his haunches, grasped her right wrist, rising to his full height. He then began to drag her along, as the alpha had the night before.

But this time Helena would have none of it. Despite her fatigue and fear, she was conscious and full of fight. Finding her voice, as painful as it was, Helena cried out frantically for her friends, kicking and screaming, trying her best to break free from her attacker. She could feel his sharp nails pierce the soft skin of her lower arm as he pulled, a trickle of blood oozing from two different punctures. She fought through the pain.

And finally, when the beast paused to get a better hold on her, Helena got to her feet – standing directly before him – and, distressed and wholly having enough, nearly curse the creature as a demon and butcher.

Inexplicably, she saw a grain of intelligence in those brown eyes, an astuteness she had never seen before; perhaps even regret. Helena also discerned something else, an odd cock of his head. She saw it last night too, when he and the alpha first confronted her, but it did not register until now …

Hesitating, taking a breath, and picturing the man who used that very move, a personality quirk, cocking his head in such a manner every time he placed that ridiculous cowboy hat on his head, Helena queried: "Dave? Dave Reilly? Is it you?" Something jarred inside the beast. It had nothing to do with the sound of her voice but the question she asked him. Helena was sure now. "Dave, what has happened to you?"

Then, she gasped. Helena knew who the powerful alpha was and could kick herself for not realizing it sooner. The beta suddenly grimaced, breaking Helena from her thoughts, and he shoved her aside.

The alpha was there, tall and imposing, his roar thunderous and authoritative, and he was furious! He looked first at Helena who was taking them both in from where she had fallen on the forest floor. Then, his large sharp-nailed claws swiped viciously at the beta, causing more unneeded pain to his already bruised and burned body.

"John, stop!" Helena cried, kneeling now on the ground. "Please!"

He paid no attention to her, instead grasping the beta, picking him up in a fireman's hold then, lifted him high above his head, the alpha tossed him meters away to land with a loud thud on the terrain.

The beta was groggy, snarling but slow to get to his feet. He was wobbly and disoriented. He was a beaten wolf-creature and he knew it. He had appeared to make peace with his mortality. It was the job of the stronger creatures to weed out those who were weak and no longer worthy. The beta was both.

The alpha nearly went after him, to finish his treacherous brethren off, disregarding Helena's cries. Then, he heard another sound in the forest. This overrode whatever reprisal he planned for the beta. More-so when he saw the beings, those which looked like his potential mate, making their way to him through the woods.

With a snarl, he moved to Helena who was now standing and dazedly looking at the unmoving beta. He grasped her arm hard, preparing to take his prize and run off with her. However, his eyes were on the people – dressed as she was – coming out of the woods.

Helena looked in the same direction, watching as Alan Carter lifted his stun gun and aimed at the bewildered beta which was not yet aware of his presence. "Alan, put it on stun! That's Reilly!"

The alpha jerked at her arm, pulling her closer to him. His low growl turned into something a bit more viscous when he saw the beam of light engulf the beta, who was still crouching and trying to un-muddle his mind. The alpha watched him fall on all fours then collapse to the forest floor. His wolf-sense acknowledged a change, something vile and bizarre. The beta wolf-creature seemed to sizzle, become distorted, and soon it resembled a naked version of one of their attackers. In the alpha's perspective, this was dark magic and something he wanted no part of.

Dr. Raul ran to his new patient.

Incensed and alarmed, the brave but cautious alpha backed away and pulled Helena with him, his fangs bared.

"John!" Tony Verdeschi, now by Alan's side, called, "It's us!"

"Commander!" Maya also called and lifted her weapon.

Helena looked from the alpha to her friends, surprised they also understood that the alpha was Commander John Koenig.

They could not get a clear shot. Helena was in front of him and they were afraid of striking her. If they hit Helena with the stun first, the alpha would run scared and they might not ever find him.

Helena calmly lifted a hand to her friends, indicating she needed them to be quiet and stand down.

"John." She murmured, looking up at the frightening beast. He very slowly took his attention away from the newcomers, stopping their backward motion, and looked down at her, retracting his teeth. "John, it's me. It's Helena. Do you remember?" She noted his grip on her arm had softened and the expression on his face, although guarded, appeared somehow more perceptive and … forgiving.

Helena, taking a chance, lifted one of her hands and placed it to the side of his head, petting the fur near his pointed ears, and dragged her fingertips lower to stroke his cheek and muzzle.

The others looked on, amazed by what they were seeing.

He now seemed mesmerized by her soft manner, her kindness and understanding. _'My mate. Hel-len-a.'_

She could not be altogether certain it was recognition she saw in his eyes, his blue eyes that she had looked into on many an evening, during those personal moments, those interludes when a command couple could be alone, sharing secrets and intimacy no one on Moonbase Alpha could ever truly appreciate or understand. "John," she murmured again. "Come back to me."

They were both so caught up with what they were doing neither noticed that Alan Carter had holstered his gun, rounded on them, and was now slowly approaching Helena and the alpha from behind. Meanwhile Tony and Maya had moved in closer, their guns aimed.

Unaware, Helena had distracted the wolf-creature enough for her friends to make their move.

Alan rushed forward, clasping Helena around the waist and hauled her back against him and away from the alpha.

Startled, Helena cried out.

The alpha bellowed his disbelief and fear, lamenting the lost contact with his woman, but only had time to lunge. The moment Helena was free Maya and Tony pressed the triggers on her guns and the beast was enveloped with light. Even then, falling to his knees, he roared his hatred and pain.

He knew he was losing something ... precious.

"John!" Helena sobbed and pulled free from Alan. She was on her knees beside Koenig, cupping his cheek even as the transformation started to take place. Her words were soothing and full of apology.

He saw her and recognized her pain through his own. The last thing that left his lips as he collapsed completely to the ground, whether denoting his change back to a human being or simply evolutionary, was the need for the female he loved …. "Hel-len-a!" John Koenig groaned, reaching for her, then he fell unconscious.

His arm fell and his hand crumpled with it and lay by his side.

* * *

 ** _The Final Chapter_ \- Coming Soon!**

 _At this time I would like to sincerely thank you for the lovely comments. I cannot emphasize enough how much it means to a writer to know her written word is appreciated. I will try to have the final chapter posted by Wednesday (7/29/15). Meanwhile, please let me know what you think of the fiction so far. GB, AFL._


	5. Chapter 5 - Conclusion

**Epilogue:**

Eagle One lifted off before them and was already on final approach for Moonbase Alpha before Eagle Two departed the mysterious world. On the transport, besides most of the initial reconnaissance crew, including Dr. Nunez, was all of the vital information and product they had gathered during their worrisome venture on Korgan.

Commander Koenig told his people in Eagle One, before they left, that they would meet with them later on Alpha for a debriefing.

Alan and Tony were in the pilot section. Carter called back to them, "Eagle Two's ETA back to Moonbase Alpha is one hour and fifty three minutes. Get some rest, ladies and gentlemen."

The passenger section consisted of Veldt and Stannis in the two front seats, Reilly and Maya in the middle seats. And finally, both showing signs of wear and tear, Dr. Russell and the Commander relaxed in the back seats of the inflight Eagle Two.

While Veldt and Stannis were carrying on their own conversation, possibly lamenting another missed opportunity, the others were attempting to piece together what exactly happened on what they could only assume was the planet Maya's father, Mentor, had visited many years ago.

John and Dave were bruised and battered, both wrapped-up in their own blankets from the Eagle's storage cabinet. Their clothes had been shredded, found near the obelisk they had been examining before their transformations. The material now lay in a pile, with Helena's ruined and discarded blue jacket, near the Eagle's exit doors. They would be reclaimed by Alpha, the fabric refurbished, and new uniforms and a jacket would be created.

Reilly was turned in his seat, taking in his Commander and Dr. Russell. "I don't really remember anything other than approaching that monument and trying to read what was written on the surface." he said.

"That was your undoing." Maya said, raising an eyebrow. She was now seated at the Eagle's science station beside them, having just scanned in the writing on the Korgan parchment. On Alpha, she and her team would analyze and learn from it and the many other things they had brought from the mysterious world.

"What amazes me is that you could read it at all." Helena said.

"I couldn't really." Dave said, slightly sheepish. "I was rolling it over on my tongue without actually knowing what I was saying. I'm an archeologist but linguistics is a part of our education. Back on Earth it was helpful, while breaking into an old Egyptian graveyard, to be able to decipher a thing or two written on a stone slab."

Helena remembered Reilly in the cave, the beast using his claws to try and carve something into the mud and rock wall, perhaps for posterity. Even then he was acting on a memory, an instinct that was clearly his own.

"I remember touching the column and feeling an energy radiating from it." Koenig said, thoughtfully and a bit fatigued. It had not been that long ago that he was revived from his stunned sleep, a little worse for wear because - as the creature - he was stunned by both Maya and Tony. Helena tried to explain the situation to him as best she could, and he seemed to understand, but also appeared deeply disappointed. "I also remember pain and a deep _fire_ in my body."

"I recall that too." Reilly inserted. "A deep heat in the chest, stomach and legs."

"And pulling off … no. I tore off my jacket and tunic." Koenig shrugged, glancing once again at the pile of ripped clothes by the Eagle's doors. "Then nothing."

"That must have been just after we talked on your comlock." Helena said.

He nodded.

Maya said, "I am relating from memory, stories Mentor told me when I was a child, but I think I may have to apologize to the late leaders of Korgan. Their powers of transformation were a gift _and_ a curse. They did not want anyone who had no business transforming to undertake it; only the higher echelon, those who understood its power." Maya's eyes narrowed as she mused, "I always thought it was a class system of some kind. But, the more I think about it, I believe the leaders realized if an uneducated underling became aware of the process without understanding the dangers, their world could be imperiled." She sighed, "Sadly, that very thing happened."

Koenig caught on, "Someone ill-informed had learned the secret, that the obelisks and their ancient writings were connected. If you read the words while touching their monument you can transform – but what you change into is random. There is no control." It was the Commander's turn to look shamed, "And it is what Reilly and I stumbled into."

"Yes, but for the Korgan's it went deeper than that. For each monolith there was a different transformation. In your and Dave's case it was a variation of wolves. That whole area down there was dedicated to that specific beast. Perhaps in other areas, miles away, there are other life forms that were once humanoid, some benevolent and others malicious."

"But Maya, what _happened_ to the other people?" Helena said, "We never saw one human being on that planet, only the animals."

"That was what I was getting at, Helena. The planet's elders knew the secret to transformation and how to come back, how it still changed them when they were back to themselves – took something, perhaps their mortality, away - but the masses never understood that or how to return. Over the centuries, after bloody conflicts, wars, and general chaos, the Korgans continued to change until there was no one left. Soon, the animals of the planet – who were once humans - became dominate and the humanoids disappeared."

Helena looked appalled, "So the other wolf-creatures I saw down there, the ones with the golden eyes and stripes of grey and white in their furs … They were the decedents of the original Korgans?"

"Yeah," Reilly said, "I think you're right, Doctor. They were never able to come back. And unfortunately, we were nearly caught in that same trap."

"There are thousands of those obelisks down there in various parts of Korgan. They must have been erected before the situation got out of hand and could not be destroyed after. We would never have been safe had we moved there." Maya said.

"Too much of the unknown." Koenig murmured, pulling his blanket a bit more firmly over his shoulders. "But I do have another question. You stunned myself and Dave. We then changed back to ourselves. How did that work?"

"A catalyst was all that was needed." Helena said, having discussed it with Maya an hour before. "Our stun guns, that jolt to the nervous system, brought you out of it. I doubt such a thing would have restored the Korgan descendants. They grew far too animalistic over the centuries. They mutated." Helena allowed a mild smile. "Thankfully, you and Dave here are amply human."

"Nice to know." Reilly murmured.

"But at least we have collected enough minerals, plant-life and other resources to keep Alpha functional for an indefinite period of time." The Psychon smiled encouragement. "It was not a total loss. We came out ahead on this one." She then cleared her throat when her three tattered and tired friends gave her a 'Seriously?' look, "Comparatively, I mean." she added.

"From the view of an archeologist," Reilly said, straightening a bit in his seat and conceding. "This _was_ a rather successful mission. We've got a lot to examine when we return to Moonbase Alpha." He glanced at Koenig, "Not that I would want to go through that again." Reilly stretched ever so slightly, "Now, if you'll excuse me ..." He picked up his hat, which had been lying on Maya's vacated seat and placed it on his head. He then scrunched down in his seat and tipped the hat to cover his eyes, "I am going to take a nap. Wake me when we land."

"Remember you need to go directly to Medical Center when we get to Alpha." Helena reminded. While the burns Reilly received as the wolf-creature had depleted into what appeared as a moderate sunburn, patches visible on various parts of his body, Helena did not want to take any chances on infection.

"No problem, doc." Then Reilly turned his head ever so slightly, lifting his hat and cracked an eye to look at her, "By the way," He suddenly seemed a little uncomfortable, "Sorry about what happened down there. Umh, you know …" Reilly, in a conversation with Verdeschi, had been given the crux about how his alter ego had man-handled Dr. Russell. He did feel a little guilty about the situation, considering he always held her in the highest regard.

"It's all right." Helena said, "You weren't quite yourself, Dave." She then smiled with a bit of humor, "Besides, I _did_ set you on fire."

Appreciating her forgiveness, Reilly closed his eyes again, tipping his hat and attempted to unwind.

Maya chuckled ever so slightly, smiled at Helena, then returned to her work at the science console.

Helena gazed at John. He had been relatively quiet since his return, giving only abrupt and customary orders, and looking deeply thoughtful. At first she had put it down to embarrassment, walking about with only a blanket to wear and hearing about how he had been a literal monster while on Korgan. He was also tired, the transformation and stun taking a lot out of both he and Reilly. But Helena felt there was more on his mind than what he had become and the history of that strange world.

"Penny for your thoughts." She murmured into his ear.

The right side of his generous mouth upturned slightly and John looked at Helena, noting the fatigue in her eyes, the scratches on her cheeks, and what were probably more scratches and bruises underneath her uniform. She had not come out of their ground reconnaissance without abuse and he felt more than sorry for her, even though she showed a brave face. "It's at times like this I wonder if we'll ever find a home. And, if we do, what will be the price we pay?"

"Are you wondering if we will ever go the way of the Korgan's? Losing our humanity?"

He imparted an imperceptible shrug, "Maybe." Koenig shook his head back and forth in bemusement, "Guess I'd sincerely like to believe there is a place for us out here in deep space but the more worlds we visit, and the ones that pass on us, the more I begin to wonder if it's not Alpha's mission to wander space forever."

"For what purpose?"

"I don't know."

Helena took one of his hands, "Well, if that happens … I would like to think there is a reason for it. We cannot have come so far, John, that there is not some kind of celestial intention for all we do."

When she spoke like that it reminded John of the much missed Victor Bergman. "Maybe one day we'll find out what that motive is." He concluded.

"Meanwhile, we keep trying."

Koenig squeezed her hand gently. "Yes, we keep trying."

"By the way," Helena tried to lighten the mood, "I have to say I am rather pleased that you, even as a brutal mysterious creature down on Korgan, still saw fit to make me your other half. I think that speaks a lovely truth." She reached up and gently rubbed his blanketed shoulder.

"Maybe. Or my options were few."

Helena smacked him gently on the shoulder, annoyed by his teasing, and whispered, "Stop."

A smile finally appeared on Koenig's mouth and he spoke sincerely, "I know what I like, Helena." That thought of providence once again touched his mind. "I know what I love." If they were all there for a reason, to somehow bring whatever it was they had into deep space, could it be that whoever was pulling their strings decided long ago that the base's Commander needed the perfect woman by his side? Koenig was still not entirely sure what Helena got out of the deal but that was a question for a time when he was not so confounded by the mysteries of the universe.

"I know what I like too." Helena reached up and planted an affectionate kiss on his cheek. "I like a mate preferably without an abundance of fur." she then chuckled gently, her breath warm against his ear. "Now Commander, why don't you make like the archeologist and try to get some sleep." She rested her head on his shoulder, "I know I could sure use some."

Koenig appreciated her caring and advice.

Before nodding off he looked at the small screen before them in Eagle Two, showing the approach of their moon. It was still a good hour away but it hovered big on the screen.

If it was their destiny to roam the galaxies forever on the moon and Alpha he accepted that challenge. However, Koenig wondered how much more difficult it would get if he and his people, those he loved, were never given the opportunity to progress, to welcome children, hard work and the normalcy of a home world into their humble lives.

He still had hope. He _had_ to have hope.

John Koenig closed his, and leaned his head so that his cheek was resting on the top of Helena's lovely head.

One day they and all of Moonbase Alpha _would_ find their world.

* * *

 _ **THE END - July 2015.**_

 _Please let me know what you thought of this fiction. All my best and thank you again – AFL._


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